The Role and Responsibilities of a General Contractor If you're…

The Role and Responsibilities of a General Contractor

If you're considering managing your own project instead of         Coordinates Specialty Contractors
hiring a general contractor, it's important that you under-        Coordinating things with the busy schedules of multiple
stand all that the job entails.                                    contractors is a real juggling act.

A general contractor oversees and manages large home-              When a general contractor is on the job, specialty contrac-
improvement and remodeling projects, acting as your main           tors are usually willing to commit to a tight schedule. If an
contact and ensuring the work is done to your satisfaction.        inexperienced homeowner is handling things, however, those
                                                                   specialists will often request more time, which can add
While it's not unreasonable to think that a homeowner could        weeks to the completion date of your project. Plus, there
act as their own general contractor (and save on the ex-           could be cancellation penalty fees to pay if things get off
pense), it's a difficult role that requires real skill, expert     track.
knowledge and lots of time on-site.
                                                                   Provides Skilled Labor
The list that follows is far from complete, but it does provide    A good general contractor has the skills to handle the
an overview of the general contractor's typical responsibili-      carpentry tasks required on a project ­ and they often end up
ties.                                                              performing much of that work. That's why projects managed
                                                                   by a professional rarely run behind schedule.
Interacts With the Architect
If there's an architect or architectural designer involved, the    Answers Questions and Resolves Issues
general contractor will work with that person to ensure the        The general contractor has to be on-site regularly, inspecting
project is implemented as planned.                                 the work as it's completed, providing answers and resolving
                                                                   issues. If not, a sub-contractor may have to wait ­ or guess
The architect and the general contractor will typically review     at a solution ­ which often results in delays or mistakes that
the plans together before any work begins. If problems arise,      can affect the work of all the sub-contractors who follow.
the architect will often look to the general contractor to
suggest workable solutions. It's a symbiotic relationship          Arranges for Permits and the Associated Inspections
that's difficult for most homeowners to replicate.                 To ensure a safe community, city permits are required before
                                                                   you or any sub-contractor can demolish, build, enlarge,
Gathers and Evaluates Bids                                         improve or convert a great many things on your property.
Every general contractor has a network of trusted sub-
contractors. That allows the "general" to gather accurate          A local general contractor will know which tasks require
bids quickly. If you act as your own general contractor,           permits and which don't. He'll be familiar with the process
accomplishing the same thing will require quite a bit more         of applying for them and experienced in filling out the
time and effort.                                                   paperwork.

For every specialty (electrical, plumbing, etc.), you'll want to    The general contractor will also coordinate all of the
get multiple bids. For each of those bids, you'll need to walk     associated inspections ­ meeting the city inspectors at the
the specialty contractor through the project and answer their      job site and working with them on any requested changes or
questions. If one contractor shows you a different way of          adjustments.
doing something, you'll need to communicate that to all the
other contractors and have them re-bid the job so that all the
estimates are alike. And finally, you'll need to compare and       Do you have what it takes to be your own general contrac-
contrast the products and techniques used by each contractor       tor? Only you know for sure. Before making a final decision,
to determine if all are of equal quality.                          however, you may want to interview a couple of general
                                                                   contractors to get their assessment of how easy or difficult
                                                                   your project will be.